Salesforce report: AI use in customer service is turning it into revenue driver for 2024

SINGAPORE: Artificial intelligence (AI) use in customer service is turning it into a revenue driver.

According to a Salesforce report that surveyed 100 professionals in the city-state, eight in ten Singaporean service professionals foresee customer service driving more revenue this year, with most anticipating increased budgets and headcounts to support this growth.

The report highlights AI’s significant role in enhancing customer service efficiency without sacrificing quality.

Singapore Business Review reported that 90% of respondents are either already using AI or are in the process of evaluating it, and they plan to increase their investment in AI this year.

Meanwhile, 97% of service professionals see AI as a time-saving tool.

The report also revealed that nearly half (47%) of service organisations have fully integrated AI into their operations, and another 43% are currently experimenting with AI to explore its potential benefits.

A smaller group, 8%, is still evaluating how to use AI, while just 1% have no plans to adopt AI. Mr Gavin Barfield, Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Solutions at Salesforce ASEAN, commented on AI’s impact:

“Generative AI will allow agents to provide a smoother and more personalised customer service experience, freeing up time to focus on relationship building.

At the same time, data and AI is enabling service teams to demonstrate their ability to drive revenue growth through greater efficiency and upsell activities.“

The report identifies the top three AI applications in customer service: automated summaries and reports, customer-facing intelligent assistants, and service responses.

These applications are crucial for enhancing the customer service experience and operational efficiency.

The survey also highlights the rising pressures on service teams, with 81% of professionals noting that customers have become more demanding. Additionally, 65% expect a higher volume of customer service cases in the coming year.

To meet these growing demands, 72% of respondents emphasised the need for better access to data from other teams.

In addition, 87% of service professionals plan to improve data integration efforts this year by increasing their investment in this area. /TISG

Read also: Customer service delays in Singapore result in businesses losing S$1.24B in wages

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